Well, dear readers, the wonderful, sly and impish Billy Barnes has passed away from Alzheimer’s. Anyone who’s read Kritzer Time knows of my love for Billy and how influential his revues were on me as a teenager. They were so funny and tuneful and clever, the kind of thing few people ever did well, and that almost nobody knows how to do today. He was a brilliant songwriter, whether providing June Christy with her signature song, Something Cool, or Barbra Streisand with one of the best things she ever recorded with Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair. His music was tuneful and memorable, and his lyrics were witty and perfect. When I saw Billy Barnes LA and then The Billy Barnes People in the early 1960s and I heard those great songs, whether rueful like Foolin’ Ourselves and Does Anybody Here Love Me? or riotously funny songs like The Akron, I just wanted to write those kinds of numbers. In the late 1960s I, like everyone else, was a Laugh-In fanatic, and it was no surprise to me that Billy was involved in the musical end of the show and his contribution to it was invaluable. I met him in the 1970s and even auditioned for him and Bob Mackie when they were preparing a revue called Movie Star. I know he was a fan of Nudie Musical, too, and that made me happy. We’d see each other every now and then over the years, at events or concerts, or shows, and he always knew who I was and we always chatted – he was completely gracious and charming always. I began to see him more regularly when I’d go to shows at the Gardenia, which was always a treat. When I became pals and worked with Karen Morrow, I’d run into them all the time at Stanley’s restaurant. He was also a fan of the albums I produced, and that made me feel good. In fact, we talked often about doing a Billy Barnes album, although it never happened.
In 2004, when I was maniacally creating the revue, What If, which basically was just my homage to Billy, I called him and asked him if he’d let us use a couple of his songs and he said yes and they were true highlights of the show. He was there opening night, as was Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Jack Klugman and others, and while Mr. Brooks and Mr. Reiner raved about the show, all I cared about was what Billy thought – and he loved it and loved the way we used and did his songs. I continued to see him often at the Gardenia shows I visited – the last time I saw him was when I took him to lunch when I was preparing to release Billy Barnes LA on Kritzerland. By that time, Alzheimer’s had pretty much taken hold, but still ever few minutes you’d get a flash of that Billy wit and devilish behavior and amazingly his memory in his lucid moments was spectacular as I was drilling him about how the revues were created and his history coming up in the 1950s. I think he came to at least one of the Kritzerland shows right at the beginning, and I know he was supposed to come to others, but by that time it was just too hard for him to get out. I think Billy was a great influence on any number of people and he brought such joy into any room he was in or to anyone he worked with. He was one of the sweetest people it’s ever been my privilege to know. But what a wonderful and blessed life he had – all eighty-five years of it. And I know that wherever he is he is entertaining everyone as he always has.
Yesterday was actually a lovelier than lovely day. I got up too early, but once up, I answered e-mails, printed out orders, finally completed the casting of our ensemble, and then had a surprise visit from Mr. David Wechter. We went and had some lunch over at the Kansas City Barbecue. I’d tried to take him there once but it had been closed due to problems with their ovens. He absolutely loved it – we both had brisket sandwiches and we were both good boys and did not have fries. Boy was it yummilicious. After that, I went to the mail place and picked up a few packages, and came home. Then it was time for the Juliana rehearsal. She did a very good run of the show and I only had some nitpicky notes. She’s really starting to nail the patter now, and as she gets more comfy with it the act just gets better and better. She’s singing wonderfully and I think it’s going to be quite entertaining. After she left, I had more e-mails to answer, had a couple of telephonic conversations, and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Love Crime, a French film from France. I had never heard of this film but had read about Brian De Palma’s new film called Passion, which received a somewhat scathing review from the Hollywood Reporter. It sounded like once again Americans just had to remake what was apparently a very good little French thriller, and in so doing just changed everything about it that worked. The film, starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier is a tidy and very entertaining film – nothing terribly new, but all done simply and efficiently. I think once you hear the name Brian De Palma attached to the remake you know the one thing his film will be is anything but simple and efficient. One of the things that’s fun about the French film is the dynamic between the older Thomas and the younger Sagnier. In the remake, it’s Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace, who are of similar ages, so that dynamic never comes into play. The supporting performances are excellent, and I just really liked it a lot. It turned out to be the final film of the excellent French director from France, Alain Corneau, who died just days before the film had its French premiere in France. If you like simple and efficient thrillers I highly recommend taking a chance on this.
I then watched the opening of the new Blu and Ray of This Is Cinerama. It’s fun – obviously it can never come within a country mile of even approximating what Cinerama is like, but the Smilebox presentation is certain fun. I got that and Windjammer, so I’ll be watching those as soon as I get a breather. Then I decided to do something I haven’t done in over two decades – watch the first episode of a new TV series. David Wechter had told me about this new show called Vegas, which takes place in the 1960s, a period David and I really like in terms of what Vegas was. Unfortunately, it’s just another bad and typical cop show trying to capitalize on the sudden Mad Men 60s nostalgia, just as The Playboy Club and Pan-Am tried to do. The show is just one awful cliché after another, and unlike Mad Men, it’s shot in a distinctly “now” style. It borrows Mad Men’s composer, David Carbonara, who here delivers a score as clichéd as the show. I do like Dennis Quaid and he’s fine, but all the other actors just mumble away in today’s style of acting. I won’t be watching it again.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep, which I desperately need.
Today, it’s more of the same – some errands and whatnot, eating, hopefully picking up some packages, then a Juliana rehearsal and then I’ll prepare for our first day of shooting and relax.
Tomorrow is our first day of shooting, doing the two set-up scenes for the two episodes. The first of them shoots at Euan Morton’s house, and the second shoots at my house. Then after that we have a Juliana rehearsal, so a very long day for me. Friday we shoot six short musical numbers and Friday night I get to rest, which is a good thing. Saturday we have a run-through with a small, friendly audience for Juliana’s show, and then I’ll relax, and Sunday is the sound check and show.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do errands and whatnot, eat, hopefully pick up some packages, rehearse, prepare and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall hear some classic Billy Barnes’ songs in my sleepy head.